Method of constructing expansible metal



shaped to the sliding members PATENT OFFICE.

HEEBERT G. OLIVEB., OFl NEW YORK, N. Y..

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING EXPANSIBLE METAL.

Speofieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed April 2, 1919. Serial No. 287,013.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, Hnnsnnr G. OLrvnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Constructing Expansible Metal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are; to provide means for expanding metal so that the covered areas can be varied to conform with the various Specifications of the building regulation authorities; to provide an expanded metal which may be transhipped and paclced within the most limited space; to cheapen the cost and simplify the construction of expanded metal; to provide a metal which may be arranged so that the Specification calling for a certain amount of metal in certain areas can be provided for; and to cheapen the cost of construction of metal of the character mentioned.

' Drawngs.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a fragment of a sheet of metal constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention and before the same has been expanded.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the metal expanded.

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are diagrammatie views showing the various .steps in the method of forming the sheets of unexpanded metal.

D escrip ton.

As seen in the drawings the metal is turned out in sheets similar to that shown in ig. 1 of the drawings. In this form the metal is packed for shipment. It is obvious that the limited space which the metal occupies in this form has great advantages i the handling of the metal. In the usual practice when handling,` this metal, the metal is not expanded until it arrives on what is called, the job. Then, manually, or by other means, it is stretched to the position or to the condition shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this Condition it is Secured to the standing Structure and if it is to be plastered, the plaster is applied thereto. If the metal is intendedv for fiat arch work it is and when sufiicient of thel reinforcing metal has been placed in position the grout or cenient is poured so as to Surround the metal. It will be noted that the junction of the various lines of the meshes are eemented by the short extension-of wire or' bar. Vxfhen constructing the metal in accordance with the present invention these short pieces are welded.

The method by which this product is produced is best shown in Figs. 8, 11, 5 of the drawings. As shown in Fig. 3, the longitudinal bars 10 are laid parallel and in close juxtaposition. Any suitable method for placing these in position may be employed. That followed at present is to provide a hopper in which the bars 10 lare placed in seratim and allowed to rest, one upon the other. When a su'liicient length hasbeen provided the transverse rods ll are super-imposed upon the bars 10. The material usually employed in manufacturingthis metal is a steel wire of sufficiently heavy grade. The transverse rods 11 are disposed in spaeed relation, the space being according to Specification. `When the layout of the bars 10 and 11 has been completed, an eleetric spot welding machine is employed. VVith this welding machine, the bars 11 are welded to each of the rods 10. VVhen the bars 11 are coinpletely welded to the rods 10, as shown for instance in Fig. 4 of thedrawings, a comparatively rigid sheet results. This sheet is now placed in position to have the rods 11v severed. Care is exercised to seven the rods 11 between the rods 10 and between the alternate rods 10, that:is to say, as shown in Fig. 5 and at the bottom of said figure, commencing .on the left thereof. The first severing. is between the second and third rods; the second severing is between theV fourth and fifth Sixth i and seventh; eighth and ninth, and so on. The points of severance of` the next rod 11 alternate with the points ofl severance of the first rod, `that is to say, the rod 11 on the second tier is severed between the first and second bof the rods 10; third and fourth; fifth and sixth; seventh and eighth; ninth and tenth, and so on. The third rod is severed on the same scheme as the firstV rod; the eth rod is severed on the scheme of the second rod and so on, alternating the various rods. The result of severing these various rods is to form the short length 12 as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings. ri`hese short extensions 12 are rigidly adhered by welding to the rods 10.

F or this reason when the metal after having arrived upon the jobV in the shape of solid sheet, such as shown for instance in Figs. 1 and 5, is drawn out, the diamond shaped meshes shown in Fig. 2 are produced. It will also be noted that the sections 12 extend beyond the general surface ofthe metal which forms the sheet. The sheets of metal when formed as shown in Fig. 1 may be of any desired length. They are transhipped or storedin the compact or contracted Condition shown in said Fig. 1, and are delivered on the job inthis condition. There they are exp'anded or contracted to accommodate any particnlar Opening which the metal is designed to cover. v

From the foregoing, it is evident that particularly in transhipment a great saving is attained in that the space covered by the metal in the hold of a vessel forinstance, or in a freight car, is materially reduced. After this metal arrives at the job instead of taking up an enormous. amount'of storage space, as the usual e-Xpanded metais now do, this metal-can be stowed away in a comparatively small compass.

it is also evident that the construction whereby the anchors formed by the short pieces 12 are projected from the surface of the metal, a very advantageous hold on the concrete is thereby afiorded.

Olaz'ms.

1. Method of -constructing expansible metal consisting in rigidly connecting a plurality of bendable rods in juxtaposed parallel arrangement, the points of connection between said rods being disposed at regular intervals lengthwise of said rods, and said points of connection between alternate pairs of said rods being disposed in intermediate or staogered relation.

2. ltfethod of constructing expansible metal consisting in lrigidly connecting a series of straight rods, said rods being juxtaposed in parallel relation, the points of union between the alternate rods being staggeredso that each rod'is rigidly connected with the juxtaposed rods on the oppositesides thereof'at points disposed in staggered relation to each other, said points of union being equally spaced lengthwise of said rods.

3. Method of constructing expansible metal consisting in uniting a plurality of bendable metal rods in juxtaposed parallel relation; then dis-uniting said rods alternately and in staggered relation.

4. Method of constructing expansible metal consisting in uniting a plurality of juxtaposed parallel rodsV with transverse members, said transverse members being spaced apart at regular intervals; then severing said transverse members between said parallel rods and between the alternate pairs thereof, the points of severance between each of the transverse rods being intermediate the points offseverance of the adjacent trans-v Verse rods.

5. Method of constructing expansible metal consisting in arranging a series of parallel metal rods in aV common plane, cross-- ing said rods with transverse rods ,spaced apart at regular intervals; welding said transverse rods and the parallelrods; then severing the said transverse rods between the alternate pairs of parallel rods, the points of severance of each transverse rod being disposed intermediate the points of severance of the adjacent transverse rods.

6. Method of constructing expansible metal consisting in arranging in parallel juxtaposed relation a plurality of metal rods; then rigidly mounting in connecting relation on said parallel rods, short metal sections, said sections being disposedl in weight line arrangement, said lines being spaced apart and perpendicular to said parallel rods, said sections uniting successive pairs of said parallel rods, the sections of each line uniting the pairs of parallel rods intermediate the pairs of parallel rods united by the sections of the adjacent lines.

7. li'ethod of constructing expansibleV metal consisting in welding a series of transverse bars spaced apart'upon a plurality of juxtaposed bars; then severing each of said transverse bars between the successive pairs of said juxtaposed bars, the points of severance of each transverse bar being between members of the pairs united by the sections of the adjacent transverse, bars.

8. Method of vconstructing expansible metal consisting in rigidly uniting aV plurality of juxtaposed parallel bars and a series of spaced transverse bars super-imposed on said juxtaposed bars; by-welding said transverse. bars and juxtaposed bars; then severing said transverse bars between the successive pairs of juxtaposed bars, the points of severance of the adjacent transverse bars being between thebars united in paired relation b the other transverse bar.

HV RBERT G. .OLIVER 

